Shelf



Aug. 17, 1937. M. HOKANSON SHELF Filed April 29. 1936 INVENTOR.

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Patented Aug. 17, 1937 PATENT OFFlC SHELF Martin Hokanson, Duluth, Minn., assignor to l'lidco, Inc., Duluth, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application April 29, 1936, Serial No. 76,952

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerators, and has particular reference to the construction of the shelves therein. I

Space within the food compartment of a re- 5 lrigerator is necessarily confined, which makes it necessary, in the average home, to utilize every bit of space on all shelves in the refrigerator. With the shelves thus filled with various commodities, it is sometimes very diflicult to remove articles from the rear portion of the shelves, and the principal object of my improvement is to make the entire area of each shelf more readily available when desired.

Another object is to provide a refrigerator wherein the shelves are slidable, when the food compartment door is open, outwardly from the refrigerator so that the entire area of the shelves is available, and, when desired, the shelves may be removed from the refrigerator with a minimum of effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator having sliding shelves therein which are vertically adjustable so that the space between the shelves may be varied to suit circumstances. V

A still further object of the invention is to provide runways for the sliding shelves having flared ends for the more easy application of the shelves to the runways.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the food compartment of a refrigerator, showing the shelf arrangement in elevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical section at right angles to that shown in Figure 1. 40 Figure 3 is a fragmental perspective view showing the details of construction of 'my improved slidable refrigerator shelf. I

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one design of common locking pin for holding the shelf in any 45 vertically adjusted position.

The food compartment of a common refrigerator is illustrated at I, it having the usual door for access thereto, which door is indicated at 2, and 3 represents the shelves within the food com- 50 partment for the storage of food therein.

To support the shelves within the refrigerator in a slidable as well as vertically adjustable manner, I have shown the relatively small uprights 4, there being a pair of same secured to each side 55 wall of the refrigerator adjacent each front and rear corner of the food compartment. These uprights are provided, through their central inwardly arched portions, with a plurality of spaced slots, such as indicated at 5. The shelf support comprises a pair of channel shaped members 6, 5 one of each pair being adjustably secured in oppositely disposed relation to the uprights 4, and in which channels the shelves 3 slide. To the back of each channel is fixed a pair of sheet metal strips 1, they being spaced apart a distance equal 10 to the spacing of the uprights 4 so that they may register therewith. Also these strips are provided with openings therein which register with the openings in the uprights.

To hold these strips and thereby the shelf runways 6 in any adjusted position upon the uprights 4, there may be employed any of several different types of button clips as indicated at 8 in Figure 4, they having an L-shaped metallic extension 9 applicable through the hole in 'the strip 1 and its registering hole 5 in the upright 4 and turned so that the extension 9 will be at right angles to the slot 5, and thereby hold the strip 1 with the runway in any vertically adjusted position on the upright 4. 25

I have provided an upstanding pin l0 adjacent one rear corner of each shelf, and also a spring clip H fixed to the channel 6 adjacent the front end thereof to prevent the shelf from being accidentally withdrawn from the channel, as when the shelf is normally slid outwardly the pin would bump against the clip I I, thereby preventing further forward movement. When however-it is desired to remove the shelf from the refrigerator, the clip ll may be manually raised to clear the pin l0 passing thereunder.

As a convenience in inserting the shelf within the channel runways, the front corners of the runways are flared outwardly as indicated in Figure 3 at i2.

From the above it is apparent that I have devised an exceedingly practical refrigerator shelf which is not only slidable for convenience in reaching articles anywhere on the shelf, but

vertically adjustable to accommodate articles of varying height. Y

Obviously modifications of the specific structure herein shown and described may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. slidable and vertically adjustable shelving for refrigerators comprising spaced uprights having longitudinally spaced slots therein secured 55 to the sides of the refrigerator, runways adjust-' justably secured tos'aid uprights, a shelf slidable ably held to said uprights, a shelf slidably supin said channels, an; adjustable spring clip carported in said runways, a projection on said shelf, ried in fixed relation to one oi said channels with spring means fixed to one of said runways and its free end overlapping the upp portion of the 5 extending normally in the path of said projection channel and extending adjacent the path of 'the to normally prevent removal of said shell from shelf, and an upstanding Pin carried at the rearsaid runways, said spring means being manually -most corner of the shelf for engagement with said movable to permit removal of said shelf. clip when the shelf is being slid outwardly to 2. Slidable shelving for refrigerators comprisprevent accidental withdrawal thereof. 10 ing spaced uprights secured to the sides of said refrigerator, horizontally disposedchannels ad- 7, I MARTIN HOKANSON. 

